


Personal Allocations

by tigerlady (shetiger)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, Pre-Het
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-08
Updated: 2010-01-08
Packaged: 2017-10-14 14:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/149993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shetiger/pseuds/tigerlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth thinks about her connections to the science contingent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Personal Allocations

Rodney McKay is a brilliant scientist, a good team member, and for all the jokes and grumbles, a fair manager. He was a good choice for head of the science contingent, and beyond that, Elizabeth has come to value him as a friend. He's got a witty sense of humor that threatens to leave her rolling on the floor when she's not having to chastise him for it. He's courageous beyond all of her expectations. He's more supportive at times than she would ever have believed.

Despite all of that, there are days Elizabeth would rather go without seeing, and especially hearing, Rodney McKay. He's pushy, he's impatient, and his voice grates in just the right way to give her a migraine from hell. And if he and John start tag-teaming each other...Well. Some days she finds herself drawing on every calming mantra and pop psychology lesson she can remember.

So really, it's only good management sense to seek out someone who can...act as a liaison, who can take some of the burden off of Rodney's shoulders. He is terribly busy, after all, and there's no reason at all for him to have to be the one to tell her whenever a toilet gets plugged up, or whatever the scientific equivalent would be. Peter used to do a lot of that for her, but now Rodney feels that it's his responsibility.

They all have different ways of grieving.

It would make sense to assign one of the new staff members to the position, someone who doesn't have so many projects already underway, but she finds herself reluctant to do so. For one, she doesn't want to undercut Rodney in that way. But her real reason is that she's found someone else to fulfill her needs.

Radek crept in while she wasn't looking. At first, she had simply sought him out when Rodney wasn't around, knowing that McKay trusted Zelenka almost as much as he trusted himself. After the siege was over, though, she kept finding herself talking to him at unexpected moments, exchanging pleasantries and vital information as smoothly as anyone she'd ever worked with.

"You are very pensive this morning."

And so, this. Quiet mornings together over a pot of not-quite-a-luxury-but-still-precious coffee, the only disturbance the banging of pots and pans in the kitchens as breakfast is prepared.

"I'm sorry," she says. "I was thinking about reallocating personnel."

His forehead wrinkles as he tries to figure out what he has missed. "Is there a problem?"

She smiles, wider than is appropriate. "No, not anymore." She leans forward, cradling the warm cup between her hands. "How are the new staff integrating? Has Fredericks caused any more problems?"

He nods and pushes his glasses up with a finger, even though they are already settled against his face. Elizabeth knows she would have already heard of any serious problems, but she likes to get Radek's take. He has an ability to see what's important, without ignoring the small things.

"Yes, there was some issue with division of labor between the labs, but it is mostly settled. I believe that Fredericks was unhappy that his gene did not buy him favoritism."

She nods. She's tried very hard to cultivate an atmosphere of equality here, and most of the original group has been good about not treating the gene-carriers any differently than the rest. It helps that John can out-gene any of them, and he acts like it's no big deal.

"I'm sure Dr. McKay explained things to him."

Radek smiles into his coffee. "I believe there were charts involved."

Elizabeth laughs, and Radek joins her. She wonders if Rodney really did that–she wouldn't put it past him–or if Radek is simply pulling her leg. He does that from time to time, his humor subtle and sly with her, like he's sharing secrets. He's not like that with others, not that she's noticed, and she likes that feeling of intimacy.

A pair of Marines stroll into the mess hall, the sign that she should wrap things up and get on with her day. She takes another swallow of coffee, wishing for bitter dregs to spur her on. But the taste is mellowed with creamer, and she doesn't stop Radek as he pours another cup.


End file.
